Corsair H100 Performance and Conclusion

Performance
As the most expensive cooler on test, the H100 had to perform well on our test systems to justify its asking price, something it just about managed in our LGA1155 test system. Its high-speed delta T of 36˚C was the joint-best result on test, matching those of the H80 and Antec Kühler H20 920.

Dropping the H100 down to medium fan speed saw temperatures rise by only 1˚C, which is a good result, as the cooler was less audibly invasive on medium speed than it was on full speed. At low speed, which was extremely quiet indeed, the H100 returned a delta T of 40˚C, which is still better than most of the air coolers on test.

Switching to our AMD test rig revealed that the H100 is also able to cope with an overclocked AMD FX CPU on each of its three speed settings. Again, there wasn’t much difference in temperature between the three speed settings – high speed returned a delta T of 46˚C while low speed returned 52˚C. While the H100 can cope with oodles of waste heat, even at its lowest fan speeds, the Dark Rock Pro was cooler.

The H100 provided exceptional cooling in our LGA2011 system too. At its lowest fan speed, it was inaudible over the background hum of our lab, yet it managed a delta T of 52˚C, equal to the H80 at its medium fan setting. At medium speed, the H100 produced a delta T of 47˚C and, at its noisiest fan speed, a delta T of 46˚C.

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Conclusion
We can’t deny that the H100 is an impressive cooling kit – it can cope with some of the hottest processors we’ve seen - even at its quiet low fan speed. It also costs a heck of a lot less than a custom water-cooling kit. Unfortunately, it’s a difficult piece of kit to recommend unequivocally, as not everyone will have the requisite pair of 120mm fan mounts in their case.

A further problem for the H100 is the presence of the cheaper but equally competent Antec Kühler H20 920, which can be mounted more easily. The latter also includes Antec’s excellent fan control software as standard. While Corsair’s Link kit will offer similar features, it costs extra, giving the Kühler H20 920 a further advantage in the value stakes when it comes to LGA1155 systems.

Corsair’s H80 is also a better bet if you’re an AMD enthusiast but the H100 offers peerless cooling on LGA2011. At only £13 more than the H80, it’s fairly priced too. If your case has room for the dual 120mm-fan mount for the radiator, nothing should prevent you from buying the H100 for an overclocked Sandy Bridge E system.
AMD Socket AM3+ Score